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As we draw to a close on Work and Family Month, we thought we’d leave you with some tips to help improve your work-life balance. This delicate balance is something that we all strive for. A proper work-life balance can lead to a happier, healthier life. If you don’t have a family to balance your work with, think of it as a way to balance work and home life or your personal interests. No one likes to take work home with them. These six tips will help you create a better balance between the office and your home life.

Build down time into your schedule – This can be something big, like scheduling vacation or it can be small, like taking a few minutes each day to walk around your office building and just let yourself breathe. It’s important to put downtime into your schedule. It can fill in for last minute emergencies, but it also ensures that you are taking needed breaks. Ignoring these breaks and not scheduling your downtime can have serious effects on your health.

Learn to say no–This can be a difficult thing to learn for all of us. Respectfully declining extra activities or commitments related to work (or your personal life) is crucial for a better balance. If you don’t truly have the time to dedicate to what is being asked, then saying no is the right thing to do. Giving only a part of your effort won’t help whoever is in need, and will only wear you down further and can even create unnecessary harsh feelings. “No” is one of the hardest and best steps you can take for a better work-life balance.

Leave work at work – As easy as it is to access work remotely, from almost anywhere, it is important to leave work “at the office” when you are done for the day. Taking work home with you will only make you and your loved ones stressed. You’ll feel like you don’t have time to devote to them if your body is at home but your mind is far away at the office. When you say you are done for the day, be done. Most things can wait until the next day. If it can’t, then stay until you are free to truly “go home”

Make technology work for you – Like we mentioned in our previous tip, work, especially email, can be accessed at the drop of a hat from almost anywhere. Don’t let yourself be pulled in to work because it is so easy to access when you are home. Limit your technology activity once you are home and see how it can improve your life. Not only will this increase your work-life balance, but it is healthier too! When you still use technology at home, be sure to try and only use it for things that are not work related.

Delegate – You are undoubtedly a valued member of your team, but that doesn’t mean you are the only one who can do your job. Learn to let go of some aspects of your work. Consult with coworkers who have similar skill sets, or hire a specialist to oversee the things that take the most time, like content creation. Ultimately, this kind of delegation can save your business money on overtime and employee turnover.

Set boundaries– For yourself and your coworkers, let people know when you are or are not available. If people think you are “open for business” 24/7 then they will contact you anytime. Setting boundaries for yourself and others is a good way to try and keep your work life at work. It helps you to avoid unmet expectations and avoid quickly becoming burnt out.

Work-Life balance is something we all struggle with but it is also something that we can attempt to control and be better at. Understanding what is important to you and your responsibilities at work, as well as using these six tips will help you to more easily achieve the work-life balance you are seeking. Visit our Facebook Page for more tips on creating a balance between work and home.

As founder of PilmerPR, John Pilmer, APR serves as a PR and marketing communications advisor for both emerging and established companies. He offers customers more than 20 years of results-driven business PR and marketing experience. John and the firm have provided PR consultation and campaigns for clients such as Mozy, Novell, AdvancedMD, Certiport, NextPage, ElectraTherm, Altiris, Avamar, EmergeCore Networks, FSLogic, INVISUS, 10x Marketing, MWI, Project Insight, REIC, Seastone, US Synthetic and Funding Universe (now Lendio), among others.